A relationship is practice, a marriage is practice, it is something to be cultivated between two people and a yoga practice is between you and your Ishtadevata, your Soul, your Self, your Spirit, you name it. It is not about the other person or the yoga in itself. It is about the concept of yoga, the practice. It is what you create. It is also not about your teacher, the teacher is a mentor, there to guide you.

For some it might be the very concept of making a child. But then again, it is not about the child. It is about the connection you grow with your child, the moments that happen, and the creation that you were part of.

The practice grows; it is messy at times. It can be oh-so-selfish, driven, full of emotions, selfless and empty too. Most of all it is continuous. Every day. And when an asana (yoga position) gets difficult, we keep on it, we don’t walk away. Practice. One shouldn’t walk away from a commitment without remembering the initial intention. Yet, learn to walk away when something destroys your soul; an addiction, a relationship. I’ve had to learn to walk away (with a lot of practice) —but not from my yoga. Practicing yoga has made me become extraordinary at who I am, not perfect. There might very well be some pouting, perhaps some toying around with ignoring the practice, but at the end we step back onto the mat. “I surrender,” which doesn’t mean giving up or being weak, but instead to staying focused on the big picture, to not be attached, to stop resisting, to step out of rigidity and simply, to practice. Every practice has an intention.

It is not the style of yoga but the practice of it. It is about the relationship or the marriage you create together with the other person, not the person herself. Basic physics and mathematical logic, biology—it’s the connection and the transition. It’s the path of your life and not death, nor the goal.

I’ve learned to communicate with my body, and to listen to what it has to tell me. It’s an ongoing process. I practice. Keep on practicing. Asana. Yoga. Breath. Mindfulness. Perseverance. Nourish what makes you feel complete. As Guruji used to say: “Do your practice and all is coming.”

There is so much more to this. All I can write for a thought is the above. Patanjali’s Sutras, book 2 verses 23-27, inspired this thought process. As well as the ever difficult pose of Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B.

Finding a moment of gratitude to be alive in the middle of peak two and peak three of the Olomana Three Peaks Trail in Kailua – HI.